Pfizer Says Its Updated COVID-19 Vaccine is Effective Against the Iris Variant After Trials

Pfizer announced on Thursday that it has updated its COVID-19 vaccines, and trials have shown their effectiveness against emerging variants, including the Iris variant, based on a study conducted on mice. The variant "E.G.5," referred to by some as "Iris," is similar to the subvariant "XBB 1.5," and is also a subvariant of the dominant "Omicron." According to the latest government data, the new variant accounts for over 17% of COVID-19 cases in the United States, where hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have increased by more than 40% from the low levels recorded in June. However, this figure remains over 90% lower than the peak levels reached during the Omicron surge in January 2022. E.G.5 has also been detected in China, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and other countries. The World Health Organization has classified the variant as "of interest," noting that it should be monitored more closely due to mutations that may make it more transmissible or cause more severe symptoms.